Ballistic threats to high value facilities such as buildings, electrical grid equipment (substations with transformers and switches), communication equipment (cell towers), and utilities (pumping stations, water treatment facilities, etc.) are numerous and increasing. These facilities are considered high value because of the need for protection of human life in the case of buildings for housing and offices, as well as the significant cost in terms of activity continuity in the case of utility-type facilities such as electrical grid equipment, in particular. A case in point is the 2013 attack by suspected terrorists where automatic and sniper weapons fire was directed against radiators of certain large transformers in a San Jose, Calif. substation of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E). Approximately $15 million in damage was suffered by the equipment, and a blackout was narrowly averted.
Aside from the known threats from terrorists and criminals, threats from careless or deliberate misuse of firearms are persistent with these facilities, which are often remotely located and prey to communications outages and temptations to unlawful firearms discharge.
There is a need for an effective, efficient, fast to construct, and economical way to protect high value facilities from these and similar kinds of ballistic attacks.